A co-pilot suspected of attacking his captain mid-air on a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv has been transferred to the United Arab Emirates, where authorities are examining whether the incident was linked to terrorism as his motive remains unknown.
Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry said on Thursday that the co-pilot left for Abu Dhabi with an Emirati security team after being medically cleared.
Preliminary investigations by Saudi authorities, with a UAE security team taking part, "revealed an assault on the captain by the co-pilot", the ministry said, adding that both men were injured. It did not disclose the weapon allegedly used or the suspect's identity.
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Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was initially treated at a hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and has since also been moved to Abu Dhabi for further treatment. India's embassy in the UAE said he was in "good health and recovering well".
The Ministry of External Affairs said the Indian Ambassador met him in hospital and had earlier met his family, assuring all possible support. "We once again salute Captain Smit Machchhar's valour and courage," the ministry said in a statement.
Statement on the health condition of Captain Smit Machchhar
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) October 1, 2026
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Flydubai flight FZ 1073 was scheduled to land in Tel Aviv on Wednesday but was diverted to Tabuk airport in northern Saudi Arabia.
Israeli officials say the diversion followed one pilot stabbing the other. Flightradar24 data shows the aircraft dropped 17,400 feet in just under two minutes before changing direction, and it briefly entered Jordanian airspace before turning back.
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The suspect has not been publicly identified, but Israel says he is an Omani national.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed he "underwent Islamist radical indoctrination". US President Donald Trump suggested the pilot may be linked to Iran but offered no details. Neither claim has been confirmed by the investigating authorities.
Investigators are still working to establish why the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain and tried to take control of the aircraft. The UAE has said it is investigating whether the violence was linked to terrorism.
Passengers who helped overpower the attacker have begun sharing accounts of the ordeal onboard. Machchhar has been hailed for his role in thwarting the suspected hijacking attempt and for the safe landing of the aircraft, which has been described as miraculous.
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